Welcome newbies and seasoned travel veterans to Authors Dish. With less than a week until Romance Writers of America 2019 I’m curious what authors and industry professionals always include in their suitcases, what they stash in their conference bag to avoid hunger pains and the things they forget once and hopefully never again.

While some of the authors contributing are not attending, we love they want to hang out and play. We hope their words of wisdom help to ease any anxiety you might have getting all the things in your suitcase.

May these posts inspire you to shop early, make your lists, and triple check so you are prepared for just about anything. If you’re heading to #RWA19 soon comment below so we can meet up in NYC.

As the conference is almost upon us, this is the last post of author fun. Thank you to all who have dished and those who are still sharing their wisdom. Stay tuned for more comments and follow the blog so you don’t miss these posts.

Rae: What five things do you have to pack when attending a conference?

Jennifer Probst:

I know everyone gets tired of hearing it but: comfortable shoes! Oh, Lord, have I regretted stumbling around in my cute heels just because I never get a chance to wear them! Then I always have LipSense Lip Gloss to reapply throughout the day, swag to give out to readers or other authors with your website on it *business cards are fine too!*, battery charger *I actually use the one I received from the RWA conference years ago!* and finally, pens. Always be prepared with a pen, my peeps!

Avery Flynn:

1.Pajamas (yes I’ve forgotten before).2. Snacks for the room.
3. An extra outfit because of my ability to spill on everything.
4. Flip flops/slides/ballet slippers for when the heels have done me in.
5. An extra suitcase for all the books I’m taking home.

Delancey Stewart: my laptop, deodorant, something to write on/with, chaptstik, and my most outgoing happy-to-be-peopling personality (this one takes a lot of energy, so I can’t use it all the time!)

Rae: What is your snack attack must haves in your day bag?

Jennifer: I’m not a big snacker! But my go to is a Kind bar – they’re not packed full of sugar and junk – you need good fuel at a conference lol. But there’s nothing wrong with a little chocolate like a Hershey Kiss or Dove bar – yum!

Avery: I love RX bars! Highly recommend.

Delancey: I like Raisinets. But I have learned that eating a while box has certain… ramifications… we will say no more about this.

Rae:What’s the one thing you forget to pack and swear to remember next time?

Jennifer: Hair spray/finishing product. And then my hair frizzes like crazy and I cannot believe I brought nothing to tame it!

Avery: I have forgotten just about everything. Thank god Kimberly Kincaid was generous and shared when I’d forgotten deodorant.

Delancey: If I could remember what the thing was, I would never forget to pack it. This is a question that can only be answered at the conference. Once I forgot underwear. That wasn’t good.

Rae: Thank you so much authors! Readers, what’s the ONE thing you always forget and swear to include next time when you travel? How do you make sure that you remember ;).

I’ll be keeping a running list and will post it a week before #RWA19 so that hopefully no one needs to make a quick run to the lobby market or drug store around the corner. I’ll see you soon for new authors and more ideas!

For more packing ideas if you’re at RWA be sure to check out the following session for more tips and tricks. I know I will!

20/20 Sessions

Cheapskates Unite! How to Do RWA Nationals on a Budget
Speaker: Tawna FenskeWe’re all on a budget. Learn how to save money on flights to the RWA Annual Conference (or any conference or convention) using rewards programs and comparison websites like Kayak. You’ll discover how not to go broke buying conference clothing, as well as how to save on meals. As a bonus, you’ll learn how to never pay baggage fees again by using only a carry-on or two, no matter the length of your trip.

About Jennifer Probst:

Jennifer Probst wrote her first book at twelve years old. She bound it in a folder, read it to her classmates, and hasn’t stopped writing since. She holds a masters in English Literature and lives in the beautiful Hudson Valley in upstate New York. Her family keeps her active, stressed, joyous, and sad her house will never be truly clean. Her passions include horse racing, Scrabble, rescue dogs, Italian food, and wine—not necessarily in that order.

She is the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of sexy and erotic contemporary romance. She was thrilled her book, The Marriage Bargain, spent 26 weeks on the New York Times. Her work has been translated in over a dozen countries, sold over a million copies, and was dubbed a “romance phenom” by Kirkus Reviews. She is also a proud three-time RITA finalist.

She loves hearing from readers. Visit her website for updates on new releases and her reader group at www.jenniferprobst.com.

She fell in love with romance while reading Johanna Lindsey’s Mallory books. It wasn’t long before Avery had read through all the romance offerings at her local library. Needing a romance fix, she turned to Harlequin’s four books a month home delivery service to ease the withdrawal symptoms. That worked for a short time, but it wasn’t long before the local book stores’ staff knew her by name.

Avery was a reader before she was a writer and hopes to always be both. She loves to write about smartass alpha heroes who are as good with a quip as they are with their *ahem* other God-given talents. Her heroines are feisty, fierce and fantastic. Brainy and brave, these ladies know how to stand on their own two feet and knock the bad guys off theirs.